Fastening device.



no. 628,20. Patented my 4, |899.

A. LEBLANC. FASTENING DEVICE.

(Application led Apr. 1, 1897.)

(lo Nudel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFREDO LEBLANC, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

FASTENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,203, dated July 4,1899.

Appnauon neaipru 1,1897. senti No. 630,247. or@ model.)

T0 LZZ whom 'llt may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFREDO LEBLANC, residing at Stamford, in the countyof Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Fastening Devices, of which the following is aspecilicatiomreferenoe being had to the drawings accompanying andforming a part of the same.

Myinvention isan improvement in buttons or fastening devices,particularly such as are largely used on gloves, belts, and articles ofwearing-apparel generally, and which are composed of a stud member withan upright shank having an enlargement at its end and attached to oneportion of the glove or garment and a socket member provided with asocket to receive the enlarged end of the shank or stud and with whichthe stud is caused to engage when forced by pressure into the socket. l

The improvement consists in providing such or a similar button with adevice such as a concave spring disk or plate which when forced bypressure out of its normal shape or position emits a clickingsound andrepeats the same sound when the pressure is relieved and itis permittedto resume its normal shape or position, and this device is combined withthe button in such manner that pressing on the top of the socket memberof the button with the finger Will cause it to emit such sound by themovement of one part of the button with relation to another.

The object of the improvement is to provide, primarily, a 'means fordistinguishing the buttons of a certain make or grade, the evidence ofthis fact being unmistakably furnished by the peculiar double .clickdistinct from the sound made by engagement of the two parts of thebutton, which is produced whenever the socket member of the button ispressed either for fastening a glove or other garment or at other times.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a button of fancifulcharacter and to enhance its sale as a novelty.

Having been, so far as I am aware, the first to designedly produce abutton having this peculiar characteristic by inserting in it orincorporating with it a concave spring plate or disk which when reversedby pressure applied to the upper or exposed surface of the button emitsa distinctive click or snapping sound, I regard it as within myinvention to place this spring-plate in many positions and to use it inmany different forms. Ishall therefore describe only the mostpracticable and economical form in which I have carried out theimprovement anda few modifications which will serve to illustrate thenature and scope of the same.

Figure l is a central sectional view of a button or fastener embodyingmy invention and composed of two parts, which are shown detached. Fig. 2is a similar view showing the two parts in engagement. Figs. 3, et, and5 are sectional views of modifications of the invention;

Referring to Figs. l and 2, which show the invention in its preferredform, A designates a stem, with an enlarged end B and a base composed ofla rigid plate C and a flexible resilient spring-plate D. These partsmay constitute a stud member in themselves and be used as such alone orin conjunction with the socket member E, having a socket M, withslightly-resilient sides, into which the stem A may be forced and causedto engage by means of the enlargement on its end. In either case theflexible plate D is forced toward the rigid plate C when the two partsof the device are united, and this movement I' take advantage of tocarry out my improvement by so constructing the said flexible plate Dthat when bent beyond the 'point necessary for the actual engagement ofthe two parts of the fastening device it will emit a sharp metallicsound or click, both when compressed and when released, and in order toinsure the return of the spring disk or plate to normal position aftercompression I insert between it and the rigid plate C a spring F, which,however much it may be compressed, will always tend to resume its normalshape.

As above stated, the parts are so proportioned that when the twoportions of thefastening device are in engagement the click will beproduced by pressureupon the top vof the fastening device and forcingthe stud loo member in the socket member slightly beyond its normalposition of engagement.

In Fig. 3 a button or fastening device of more ordinary construction isshown composed of a hollow socket member E', with a contracted opening,and a stud with a baseplate C', a stem A, and a spring enlargement orhead B. Within the socket member E is placed a concave spring disk orplate D', which will be forced inward when the'stud is pressed info thesocket and caused to emit the clicking sound when moved beyond a certainpoint. Itis desirable to use a spring F in this as well as the otherforms of button to insure the proper return of the sound-emitting diskD', should the latter be forced so far by the pressure applied to it asto resume a shape from which it would'not return unaided.

In Fig. 4 is shown a button or fastening device of substantially thesame character, but with the spring-plate D2 secured to the socketmember E2 in such position that it will be moved by the base of the studwhen the latter is inserted into the part E2.

Another arrangement of the fastening device is shown in Fig. 5, in whichthe top of the socket member E3 is made by the spring or sound-emittingdisk D3, which is separate from the socket, so as to be capable of beingforced downward and yielding to the pressure of the finger when thesocket member is fastened to the stud member. The spring F3 is used toassist the disk D3 to return to its normal position when forced downwardtoo far. In allcases, however, it will be observed that I combine withthe button or 'fastening device a sound-emitting plate, so that bypressure upon the same either before or after engagement suchsound-emitting plate will be warped or deected in such manner as toproduce the sound.

I have shown in a patent granted to me July 23, 1895, No. 543,029, abutton or stud containing a concave spring disk or plate which in theoperation of inserting the stud is bent or deflected; but such plateisnot intended or designed to emit the clicking sound peculiar to thespring-plates which I employ in the present case, and even were itpossible by the limited movement of which the shank or head is capableto so deflect the said disk as to cause it to emit any sound at al1 suchsound would not in any event beproduced by pressure upon the head of thebutton, which is the special feature of the device of my presentapplication.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationin a fastening devicecomposed of a stud member and a socket member-of aconcave spring disk or plate incorporated with or forming part ofone ofsaid members, the said disk or plate by its position in one of saidmembers being adapted.

by pressure applied to the top of the fastening device, to be bent ordeflected, whereby when so bent or deflected the spring disk emits aclicking sound, as set forth.

2. i In a fastening device composed of a stud member and a socket memberadapted for engagement, as set forth, the combination with the socketmember, of a concave spring disk or plate secured therein in position tobe bent or deflected by the stud when forced into the socket memberbeyond the position of normal engagement, and adapted, when sodeflected, to emit an audible clicking sound, as set forth.

ALFREDO LEBLANC.

Vitnesses:

M. LAWSON DYER, BENJAMIN MILLER.

